On the Surface Part 2
by LightPhyre
Summary: It's been a while since Sakura walked out that door, but she's doing well, surrounded by her friends. The same can't be said for Sasuke... His life is falling apart before his eyes and the people he thought he could trust are stabbing him in the back. He needs to figure out that some things are worth giving up everything for before it's too late... SasuSaku. Part 2 of 2. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

— **Sasuke—**

"I'll take you home. Or to get your car. I'll take you wherever you want to go."

"I called Ino before. She should be here in a few minutes. I just want you to leave me alone."

"Sakura, what did they say to you?"

"You think I'm running because one of your sluts _said_ _something_ to me? You think I'm _scared_ of them or _what_? You think I have to flee because I'm helpless and you think you're just going to come over here and make everything better?"

"No, I don't."

"Good, because you can't. And no one said _anything_ to me. You don't get to blame other people right now. This is _your_ fault, Sasuke."

"I know."

"Why did you let it get this far? After everything… you thought that if you spent more time with me that all this would be okay? You live in a huge house with countless people that you've _fucked_! How screwed up can you get?! And you really thought that if you waited to tell me, that it would make it better? A word of advice—this should be your opening line! Because then maybe you wouldn't hurt anymore people!"

"I know I hurt you—"

"You're damn right, you did!"

"I'm sorry..."

"Fuck you."

And then she turned in a whirl of soft, pink hair, and got the fuck out of my life.

I stood there for what felt like a few minutes, and when I turned, they were all looking at me. Everyone heard that and a part of me understood now. They'd always be listening, and of course that would bother her. It would bother anyone. I'd just become so used to it over the years that I barely noticed them anymore. But now I noticed them…

" _What_?!" I screamed, and some of them jumped in surprise. I never yelled at them. Most of them just stood still and watched me, like I was some kind of angry pet.

"Aren't you going to go after her?" Anko asked. "You know she doesn't have a ride."

"She doesn't want to see me anymore."

"So, you're just going to give up?"

"If she wants to talk after this, she'll call."

"I thought she was your new Jinko," she added, and I knew she was only trying to get a reaction out of me. And I was suddenly hit with the fact that I really needed a cigarette.

"Fuck off."

Anko smirked. "Well, sweetheart, I have somewhere to be, so I'll catch you later. Try not to get too upset while I'm gone. Maybe you should take someone to bed with you now to relieve all that stress, hmm?"

Anko walked past me, showering me with a wave of vanilla perfume, and when she was finally gone, I was left standing there in front of everyone. Some look worried. Others had bright eyes, hopeful from Anko's final words. I looked down and walked away.

I was so blind.

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 _Four and a half months later…_

— **Sakura—**

I stared out the window of the coffee shop, happy that the rain finally decided to stop for a few hours. It was the middle of summer and the sun hadn't been out in three days.

 _Not much of a summer, if you ask me. I wanted a heat wave, but Mother Nature decided to be a bitch, as always…_

And my inner voice was as narcissistic and chatty as ever.

"...Sakura?" I looked across the table. Ino was frowning at me. "Quit spacing out, will you? I'm trying to talk here."

I rolled my eyes with a smile. "Sorry, go ahead."

"So! As I was saying… I think it would be a great idea for all of us to go to the beach. And what I was _trying_ to get at,"—she threw me another glare and I shook my head—"was that we only a have a limited time before the weather goes back to being cold and windy and sucky in general."

"I like the fall," Hinata cut in shyly. I called her one day before graduation and surprisingly, she showed up for the cap-and-gown event, and we just decided to start hanging out again. It was just like the old days. I hadn't seen her since high school before that.

"I have to agree with Ino for once," Lee said. "The summer is the best season. The warmth and the sun… And the beach is a great idea. I'm all for that."

After "the Incident," as Ino liked to refer to my previous relationship, Lee and I were closer than ever. When he picked me up that awful night, he stayed with me for days. My parents had driven down to see me for a few days, and Ino showed up not long after. I was never alone through all of it, and I think that's how I survived. I was forever grateful to my friends. Everyone who mattered had been there for me.

"Okay, so that's two votes yes. Anyone else?"

"I'd love to go," I said, shrugging.

 _Why the fuck not? I need a vacation… And a tan._

"Wow, don't sound too excited about it."

"We should get a hotel and stay for a few days," Lee added, lifting his eyebrows.

"See?" Ino said, throwing Lee a pointed thumb. "He gets it."

"Would you be bringing Naruto?" Hinata asked quickly, and I froze for a moment. Ino had been keeping me and Naruto apart for the past few months, for obvious reasons… If I had to see her blonde boyfriend… I knew I was supposed to be over everything by now, and that was the act that I'd been putting on, but the truth was that I was still scarred. I was afraid that I was always going to be scarred. _He_ … _He_ wasn't someone I could just forget easily, either way. But after the first couple months, I knew that nobody wanted to hear me crying about it anymore. So, I stopped. I hadn't been upset in front of them in quite a while. But that didn't mean I'd forgotten about _Him_.

"You know..." Ino crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. "Me and Naruto are actually going through a bit of a rough patch right now. I don't know what's up, but he's been getting on my nerves quite a bit, and I, like… don't even want to see him most of the time. When he calls, I ignore him. And I don't really read his texts anymore unless it's something important. I don't know... I'm getting irritated at little things that never bothered me, like what color shirt he wears or how he eats his food… I don't know…"

"Well, I'm sorry you've passed the lovey-dovey stage of your relationship," Lee said sarcastically. "It's only rainbows and butterflies in the beginning. You've been together for almost half a year. It's bound to die down at some point."

"Yea, but this feels different from that. I've been with guys for longer than this and sometimes that amazing part lasts a _long_ time..." Ino paused and then scowled. "Did you just say, " _lovey-dovey_ "? What are you, _ancient_?"

"Yea, that's what my _grandma_ used to say," I laughed, and Lee flushed a bit, lifting up his coffee mug to hide part of his face.

"Yea..." Ino said, calling the attention back to herself. "Me and my girl Sakura are about to be single together, and then we're going out hunting for a good time. And see? If I was really in love with Naruto, I wouldn't be thinking about those kinds of things, right?"

"Maybe you should talk to him about it…" Hinata said softly.

"I think that's a _you_ -problem," Lee muttered, and I wondered if he was right. The last I heard of Naruto, he was still very much in love with Ino. And he was still sending her texts and calling her every day... But if Ino didn't feel anything anymore, Naruto couldn't exactly have a relationship with himself... I didn't even want to think about that kind of stuff now, though.

"So… back to the beach! Sakura, Hinata, give me an answer so I can start planning."

"I said yes," I replied. "Thanks for listening."

"I wouldn't mind," Hinata said, sipping her hot tea.

"Okay, so I'll let you all know when we're going!"

"You're such a hothead," Lee snorted. "Why don't you just ask us what days are good for us instead of being so bossy all the time?"

"What? You don't like the way I plan? And if I remember, the last time I tried that with _you_ , I couldn't go to the mall for like a _week_. And that was when I _really_ needed something, and you never even told me when you were free. So now, _I'm_ making the plans."

"Okay, well what if you pick a weekend that I'm not free?"

"Oh, _please_. You don't go to school. You don't have a fulltime job. You don't have any other friends. What the fuck are you going to be doing other than sitting in your room watching TV?"

"Okay, guys," I piped in, hearing Ino's loud mouth. "You're attracting unwanted attention, and we've been kicked out of places before, _Ino_..." I threw her a glower and she mocked me with her expression.

"Fine," she said, standing and grabbing her purse off the back of her chair. "Let's go walk around now that the rain stopped. I saw a cute thrift shop on our walk over here. And _you_ ,"—she pointed to me—"You need to find a new job, too. Two more months and the interest on those student loans is gonna kill you."

 _Don't remind me..._

"I know, I know," I sighed. I hadn't looked for a job, even though I should've been right after graduation. After "the Incident", I sent _Him_ a very formal email saying that I wouldn't be returning to work for him. He never responded, probably because I told him not to. But I focused on finishing my exams and I graduated with a 3.8 GPA. And then the weather got warmer and I lived as a bum in an apartment with Ino. I would have to pay her back for the rent costs eventually, but she was a good sport about it… for now. I knew I'd have to find a job soon, though.

We didn't live in the same town anymore. The student apartment had been only temporary, and after graduation, we moved about a half hour away, closer to home. It was easier for me to see my parents that way. And we were closer to Lee and Hinata, too, so everything worked out.

"I'm actually gonna have to catch you guys later," Lee added, standing and throwing some bills on the table. "I was gonna go visit my grandparents today and I almost forgot."

"Okay," I said, "Have fun."

"Yea, I'll see you guys later." He headed out before us and walked down the street as Hinata and I stood and pushed in our chairs. We waved at him through the large glass wall before grabbing our purses and following Ino out.

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— **Sasuke—**

It was almost five months ago now…

I would've liked to say I was over _Her_ , but nobody would've believed me. It wasn't like I'd been trying to hide it, though. Some days it was easy not to think about her. But others… Other days… was like right now.

I didn't remember how many drinks I'd had. I didn't know what time it was, either, but as long as I was still here, the club never closed, and the people never left. I thought my cigarette fell out of my mouth, and I smelled something burning, but I didn't give a fuck about the carpets. I lit another one and inhaled deeper than I've ever done before. I blew the smoke out of my mouth and I heard coughing. A girl was in front of me, waving her hand through the smoke with a disgusted look on her face.

"Come on," I smirked, "You come into a place like this and complain about the smoke? Seriously? Get the fuck out."

She just rolled her eyes and continued her lap dance. She leaned in closer, grabbing my upper thighs with her hands and running her rough tongue up the bridge of my nose.

"You find me a girl who wants smoke blown in her face and I'll blow you so hard you'll see stars," she whispered above the noise.

"You," I whispered back. It took a few seconds, but she finally smirked and moved her head down to my belt. She reached for the buckle, but I quickly grabbed her hands and brought her back up. "That's not for you, sweetheart," I said, and she frowned. I just laughed in her face. She scowled for a moment before spitting in my face and walking off. I just kept laughing.

"What are you doing, hotshot?"

I looked over to find Anko frowning at me, standing next to my large, velvet couch with a hand on her hip. Her shirt was unbuttoned and her breasts were exposed. One soft nipple poked out from the right side of her shirt. A man was standing behind her, clearly waiting for her to finish reprimanding me so she could get back to whatever she was doing with him.

"Get back to work," I glared at her, nodding her off. "I don't pay you to stand there and look like a bitch."

"You're making our business look bad by being rude to the customers. Cut it out."

"Who's the boss here? Oh, right. It's _me_. Get the fuck back to work or I won't pay you."

"Maybe you've had too much to drink. You should call it a night, Sasuke."

"What are you, my mother?"

"Sometimes it feels that way, doesn't it? How unfortunate for me, to have to take care of a man-child."

My mind went blank and I couldn't think of a response. I could barely think of anything, nowadays.

"Sasuke, go home now. I'll call Orochimaru to bring you a car. Csilla will go with you. I'll let Kara know you're coming." And then she turned and walked back to the curtains. She pulled out her phone and sent a few quick messages before I saw the man behind her grab her roughly and throw her down before shutting the curtains behind them.

I sat there for a while. When did she even get back into doing this kind of thing? Last I checked, she just managed the money… Either way, If I didn't want to go, they couldn't make me. I was in charge. I was always in charge. There was no one who told me what to do besides _me_. No one else told me how to live my life.

And yet I couldn't have the one thing that I wanted.

Why was that? I had so much power that everyone in this room would obey me if I wanted it. I had so much influence that I could ran this company on the side and no one in the world knew about it unless I wanted them to. And yet… there was this _one_ person… who refused to stay the _fuck_ out of my head. What _right_ did _She_ have to do this to me? I never gave _Her_ _permission_. I never _told_ _Her_ to do this. She just didn't fucking _listen_.

Well, I knew how to handle people like that. I pulled out my phone and scrolled down through the contacts until I hit _Her_ name. I stared at it for a second. I wished I could forget _Her_. I wished that I could forget everything that happened. I clicked _Her_ name.

I hit send.

And then I quickly stood up and threw my phone as hard as I could against the far wall. I heard it shatter, and a few lights went out. Some people screamed. Others cheered, like it was all part of a show. I moved to sit back down, but I missed the seat and fell backwards onto the floor, banging the back of my head. A few bouncers were there to help me up, but I angrily shoved away their arms.

"Get the _fuck_ away from me!"

"That's _enough_!"

Anko was stomping over. Again. I saw her hand the man she was with his money back and she buttoned up her shirt. Her heels were in her hands and she was barefoot on the carpet in front of me. I noticed the burnt mark my cigarette had left there.

" _Get up_!" she screamed at me, but I just stayed on the floor, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

A younger woman came over and tried to hand me my now-broken phone. The screen was cracked and the battery came out. It was also in three pieces. Good. Now _She_ can't even call me back. I slapped the girl's hand away and the phone bits bounced off the carpet and slid across the hardwood floor. I stared at each piece for a second until the moving feet of people walking by kicked them apart. I looked over at one of the bouncers.

"I want a new phone," I said, but my words were slurred. Jesus fuck, how many drinks did I have?

"Will you _stop it_ already?!" Anko yelled. Her voice sounded awful—probably from all the screaming she'd done earlier in the night… "She's not coming back, okay?! That's it! End of story! Stop thinking about her and _go the fuck home_! You're embarrassing everyone! You're a fucking _mess_! _Sober the fuck up_!"

"You're fired."

"Fuck you, Sasuke!"

"Seriously. Don't come home tonight. You're done. I'm done with you."

"Shut your fucking mouth and go home!"

"Don't come back here. I'll make sure you can't get in, anyway. Get the hell out of here before I call someone to take you out."

"Excuse me?!"

"Kimimaro," I said, and the largest bouncer in the club was by my side in a second. "Please escort Miss Anko to the door, and make sure everyone knows she's not allowed back in."

"Sasuke..." Anko said, and her voice was instantly softer. "You're not serious…—Get your _filthy_ paws off me!" Kimimaro grabbed her around her waist and carried her toward the emergency exit, kicking and screaming. "Sasuke! Tell him to stop! _Sasuke_! You piece of _shit_!" I could feel the silence when she was finally gone, even though it didn't really get any quieter. There was always some scene going on, so people usually ignored things like that. Anko was no different. I should have done that a long, long time ago. Her purse was still behind my couch, though. I leaned around to grab it before going through and taking out her keys. I removed the one to my house, her ID for the club and the car key I let her use, and tossed the rest of it onto the red velvet carpet. Kimimaro came back and I instructed him to drop the bag outside the door. He complied.

"Oh, and Kimimaro," I called to him. "Make sure that new phone has the same receiving number as the old one, will you?"

Just in case.

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— **Sakura—**

I took my car out for the day to find a new job. Ino had been constantly pestering me for the past few days, and I knew she was right. I needed to start putting my life in the direction I wanted it to go. Even if my degree couldn't land me a job I'll have for the rest of my life, who said a little part-timer on the side couldn't help. Working would be good for me anyway. Sometimes, I really needed something to do. Especially when no one was around and I had too much time to think…

I'd been to the pharmacy and the town's busiest supermarkets, but none of those places seemed interested in hiring me. The only other place I could have thought of that I wouldn't mind working for was the convenience store on the corner of the street where Ino and my apartment was, but I doubted they'd pay anything over minimum wage. Either way, a job was a job. So, I drove home and decided to walk the block to the corner store. It would be nice to not have to drive every day, too.

When I entered, the place was deserted, which wasn't a good sign for me. If business wasn't good, they wouldn't need extra hands. I sighed my disappointment and headed for the counter anyway.

"Hello," I said with a forced smile, and a man stood up from the back of the counter and scratched his head of white hair before glancing over at me. His face was covered with a dark blue mask. I blinked a few times. "I'm, uhh… I was wondering if you were hiring..."

 _Way to sound like a retard…_

"Uh, yea. I don't know. You can write your name and number on a slip or something and I'll check back with you after if we are," the man said. He sounded so tired.

"Are you sick?" I blurted out without thinking. "It's just… the mask and… you look tired is all. Working too much?"

"Hmm..." He looked me up and down and then nodded. "Yea, I'm sure I'll give you a call back. I should really hire someone new. Hmm. Then I guess I wouldn't look so tired, huh?"

I couldn't tell if he was making fun of me or not. But before I could respond, he pulled out a pen and paper and slid it across the counter to me, pointing a long, thin finger down at it. I just picked up the pen and wrote my basic information without another word.

"May I have your name, sir?" I asked, sliding the paper back to him.

"Uh, it's Kakashi. I run this place, so no need bringing me up to the manager." He snickered at his joke and I paused, slightly confused.

"Oh, well. If you are interested, please give me a call back. I'm available whenever."

"Yea, sure. Of course."

"Thank you."

As soon as it was over, I knew I was rushing for the door. It wasn't anything other than being uncomfortable, but not even in the bad sense. I got the feeling that Kakashi wasn't very good with people. The social aspect of it was uncomfortable. Hopefully I'd get a call back either way.

A few minutes into the walk home and my phone rang. I looked at it and it was from an unknown number.

 _That was fast…_

I put the phone to my ear and stood up straight, hoping it would make my voice sound more professional, and less like a man, like my mother always said.

"Hello, this is Sakura Haruno."

I waited, but there was no reply. And in the next second there was a loud staticky noise and then the line went dead. More static filled my ear, so I pulled the phone away and looked at the number. Something about it was familiar, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it. I called it back, hoping I didn't just lose my chance at a job.

" _The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected. Please try your call again later. Thank you_."

I frowned. Who makes a call and then disconnects their phone? I wanted to go back to the corner store, but something told me that wasn't what I should be doing right then. I turned anyway and stood there, staring in the opposite direction. I frowned again. What was this feeling in the pit of my stomach? I had butterflies, as if something bad was about to happen…

I swiftly turned and rushed back to the apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

"Huh, weird," Ino said, munching on a cheese doodle and staring at the piece of paper in front of her. She was clearly distracted, so I picked up a pillow and threw it at her over the counter. She jumped and narrowed her eyes at me, picking it back up and whipping it back. I almost fell over on the couch.

"That's all you have to say?" I asked.

"What are you talking about? I get dumb calls like that all the time. It was probably just a sales call and they hung up on you. You should probably check to see if you get charged, though. You should never call those numbers back, you dummy."

"I just thought…" I didn't know what I thought. "Maybe it was a job offer and maybe the line just went dead." Maybe… But Ino was back to ignoring me, her upper body resting on the kitchen counter.

"What are you looking at?" I asked, eyeing the paper.

"What, _this_?!" she sneered, and I instantly regretted asking, " _This_ , Sakura Haruno, is our monthly bill for the rent that you have _yet_ to contribute to!" She rolled her eyes and went back to looking it over. "How did we spend that much on electricity?" she mumbled. "We haven't even used the A/C that much this year…"

"I know—"

" _Get a job_."

"I know! I'm looking for one!"

I huffed and hugged the pillow to my chest. Our apartment was small and cheap, but still bigger than the dorm we shared at college. We had separate bedrooms, which was a blessing if Ino was going to be single again in the near future… At least her keeping Naruto away from me meant that I didn't have to listen to that _thump, thump, thump_ through the wall anymore. There was still one bathroom, which wasn't a big deal, and the kitchen, living area and dining room were all one long room. The door was in front of the living area, with the television and the couches. The kitchen was right behind it, and we had a dining room table in the back. A hallway was attached, which lead to the rest of the rooms. It was a decent size. My parents let me have one of their cars, instead of me having to buy a new or used one, and Ino could afford to buy a new one after a few months.

She worked in business management and sales. It was one of those jobs where the more you sold, the more money you made, and of course, Ino could sell. She just had to find a male client and flash that perfect smile of hers and they would fall head over heels, as always. I thought it was a little unfair sometimes, but she liked what she did. She got her degree in business and she went for it right after we graduated.

 _She probably got hired because of her looks, too. No one can resist a gorgeous face like hers. You wouldn't stand a chance if you were competing for the same job, you know_ …

I still felt bad because she'd been paying the rent in full this whole time, and even if I got a crappy job as a cashier or something minor, I'd still have my car insurance, phone bill, internet, student loans, credit cards… and then rent on top of that. I wouldn't be able to survive. My bank account was almost empty now anyway, and the last thing I was going to do was ask my parents for money… Because I knew they'd say yes and give me whatever I needed. They always did, and I couldn't do that to them… Not after they took out loans just to help me get through college. They were probably still paying them off, too…

And now I had this degree in English literature. It was practically a piece of paper that said I knew how to read and I write a good essay. Who would hire someone with that degree? I should have changed my major back when I had the chance. If I wanted to be a journalist, or even a teacher, I'd have to go back to college anyway. And transferring credits would just put me deeper in debt.

 _Ugh, adult life is pretty shitty_ …

"Here, look at this," Ino said, pulling up her phone. She scrolled down and read, "Things you can do with your English degree." I rolled my eyes. "You can be an assistant to an editor of some writing company, so like a proofreader, I guess. You're good with grammar, right? What about a librarian? You like books! Or you can be a private tutor. Or like an _online_ tutor. That sounds better. Ooh, you can work from home. All you need is a laptop and you can make like twenty an hour."

I sighed a little too loud and she glared at me.

"I'm trying to help you out here… Which will hopefully help me out a little, too, ya know. We got this place thinking it would save us money, but you're getting a free ride for like over three months now."

"I know, okay! I said I'm looking! You think this isn't stressing me out enough?"

"I'm literally giving you options right now."

 _No, you're telling me random things that aren't real positions available right now and within a 50-mile radius. You're just reading off some online list that was probably made by someone who got lucky right off the bat, or had connections, or didn't have the problem of starting with no money and coming off a shitty relationship that made you depressed all the time_ …

"I know, okay…"

God, why was I starting to think about that right now? Out of all the things my mind could wander to, and of course it was _Him_. I didn't need to feel like crap right now. Well, I already did. I just didn't need to feel any worse. And I certainly didn't want to start getting upset in front of Ino while she was in ranting-mother mode. I stood up from the couch, already feeling the stinging behind my eyes, grabbed my purse off the coat hanger next to the door and quickly put my shoes on.

"I'm going back out to look, okay?" I said, opening the door. Ino just ignored me and started looking over the bill for the rent again. I didn't slam the door as I went out.

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— **Sasuke—**

"She's still outside…" Csilla said to me over the phone. "Sasuke, _please_. It's _raining_. She's going to get sick. You know she has no other place to go. She'll wait out there forever."

"She has plenty of places she can go," I replied. "With all the men she's been sleeping with recently, I'm sure one of them will take her in."

"Why are you so mad at her?" Evelyn asked. Apparently, I was on speakerphone now. "Because she yelled at you while you were drunk? From what I heard, maybe you should have listened to her…"

"She's not allowed inside. End of discussion. I have cameras set up outside, and if anyone lets her in, I'm calling the police and having everyone removed. I'm not joking."

"You would put us all out on the street?" Kara's voice asked nervously, and I knew she was thinking of her six-year old daughter, Chiya. No, of course I wouldn't put a mother and her child out on the street. But Anko… Anko needed to learn her place. She'd been acting way too bossy recently, and she needed to be reminded of who was really in charge here.

"Sasuke?" Csilla said, and I realized I never answered them.

"Just don't let her in the house, okay? Tell her to go get a hotel or something for a few days."

"She said she has no cash on her, and someone stole her credit cards when you tossed her purse out of the club without even making sure it got back to her safely," Evelyn said heatedly.

They all loved Anko. It was a big problem. She was the one they interacted with most of the time, and she took care of them all when I wasn't there. I knew it should have been me, but… Ever since I started my other business, I made the mistake of leaving the purple-haired bitch in charge of the women and my fucking house. _Big_ mistake. Thankfully, the deed was still in my name, so she couldn't call the cops and tell them she was locked out. If I didn't want her there, she couldn't get in. I let her have a key before out of convenience.

"How could you do this to her?" another voice called from the other line. I couldn't tell who it was, but a few more of them all mumbled some form of agreement. I rolled my eyes at all of them.

Another unfortunate choice on my part was when we started our business together, I gave her a lot of power, because she knew how to run things. If I was to just remove her from the picture completely, I wouldn't know exactly what to do—which bank accounts are hooked up to what—which clubs run at what times—who goes out on which nights and who stays home—who gets what and how much, and all that. Each woman in my house had their own schedule, insurance, job, and I didn't know any of it anymore. I hadn't been fully involved with the whole thing in almost a year, and it showed. The fact that I still needed her to stick around pissed me off to no end.

"She said she's tried calling you and you won't answer her," Csilla said. "Just pick up the phone and talk to her and get this figured out so we can _all_ relax, _please_."

"She knows what she did. She knows what she's doing."

"And why aren't you coming home? You haven't been here in months, and you barely answer when we call. How do you expect this place to keep running when Anko isn't even allowed inside? Why don't you come home, and we can all talk about it together?"

"I'm not going back there for a while. I told you all that five months ago."

"That girl is gone, Sasuke, and she's not coming back. Even Anko thinks—"

"I don't want to hear what Anko thinks. And I know she's gone. Why does everyone think that I have a problem with that. I just don't like the way Anko is running _my_ business, and she's been acting like she's in charge and she needs to keep herself in check."

"What does that even mean? She's always here for us. And you won't even come to the house…"

"That's _enough_ ," I said, and I meant it. The line went silent for a few moments and I narrowed my eyes. "You live in _my_ house. _I_ allow you a place to stay. That's how it's always been, and that's how it stays. If you want to leave, by all means, you're free to go. But while you're all living under _my_ roof… _my_ rules. If that's not clear enough to any of you, then you'll end up where Anko is. She forgot who _allows_ her to live here, and she needed to be _reminded_. That's all. Any questions?" The line was still silent, and I had to pull my cell away from my face to make sure they didn't hang up on me.

"You were never like this before," Kara's voice cut in sadly. "What happened to you?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn't even about them. It was all about Anko and how she was acting out of line. The only reason I hadn't called the cops on her already for sitting in the front yard was the fact that she knew things… things that I needed to know to keep running that aspect of the business, but I didn't.

"I'll call her," I finally said, hanging up without another word. I found the purple-haired bitch's contact info and hit send. It took her three rings, which irritated the fuck out of me.

"It's about fucking time. I hope you prepared a massive apology—"

"I'm giving you our business," I said quickly, and again, there was silence.

"What does that mean?" she asked slowly, as if analyzing each one of her own words.

"It means I'm done. We're splitting everything and I want out."

"Oh, no no no. Sasuke, honey," she laughed, and I didn't like the way she was taking this. "It doesn't work like that. There's no half and half. You're either all in or all out. And if you're out, there's no _splitting_ anything."

"The house is in my name. Most of the clubs are in my name."

"Three bank accounts are in my name."

"Sounds fair to me. I have plenty of money. And I have another business."

"You can't be serious. What about everyone else?"

"I barely talk to them, and I don't think I'll see them any time soon, either. You take good care of them and they love you. That's what I'm counting on."

"So you're going to dump them all on me and take the house? What a douche-move. You're such a prick. Is this all because of that Jinko-girl? Or the new one that yelled in your face in front of everyone?"

"No, you can have the house. I'm sure with the money in your name and if you keep handling the business the way you have been, you'll be able to afford it. If not, maybe you'll move. I don't know. I figure it's not really my problem anymore."

"You're… not serious, right? This is some stupid joke because you're mad I yelled at you when you were being drunk-dumb, right?"

"No, I'm serious. I've been thinking about it for a while now. If I want any kind of life that I used to picture for myself, I need to separate myself from you and the others. I won't leave you stranded, but I'll leave you enough to survive. Maybe not thrive, but you'll make it. I'll leave you two clubs. Actually, I'll sell them to you. For half price."

"Now I _know_ you're kidding, you _fuck_." She was pissed. Good.

I just shrugged to myself. "It'll be hard for you to get in anywhere with that many people, so you're going to need to own your own establishments. I'll shell out two clubs for one bank account. And don't start switching money around, because then I just won't sell you anything."

"And what if I say no? You'd really keep all three hangouts and not let any of us inside?"

"No, I'd just sell them to someone else. And then you really wouldn't be let in..."

"You know they're all going to hate you for this, right?"

"If it takes that little for them to hate me, after everything I've done for the past six years—everything I've sacrificed just to make sure they were all safe and secure, then fuck them, too." I paused and waited for her to say something, but she didn't. I inwardly smirked. "We can start working things out immediately. Empty one of your bank accounts and cancel it. I want to see the documents by tomorrow. I'll let you back in the house, so take one of my cars. If there's a single scratch on it when I see you, the deal's off and you're out on the street. Got it?"

"… Fuck you, Sasuke."

"And after we settle that tomorrow, I'll have the house deed switched to your name and I'll sign over two of the clubs… After I go through and take my things out."

"Like what? You're going to be so petty as to take our fucking couches?"

"No, I mean my cars. And a few things in my bedroom there. Nothing big. You can keep the furniture."

"Oh, how _generous_ of you," she spat. I just felt like laughing. Why hadn't I done this sooner? It was like a weight coming off my shoulders. I'd just been so… blind… thinking that I needed this side of myself. Everyone was well off and taken care of, because I'd already slaved to make it happen. Now, they acted like spoiled brats… because that's what I turned them into over the past couple years. They had whatever food and clothes they wanted. God, Chiya's toy room was the size of a master bedroom… I wasn't helping them anymore. I was just pampering them. And they were loving it. In fact, they were taking it for granted… I was practically being used by all of them. After I tried to help them… What a shitty feeling.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Anko."

"I can't believe you're fucking serious right now."

"Meet me at the apartment at noon… and bring what I asked for. I'll send someone over for my things in the morning… Don't be late."

"Is that a fucking threat?"

"Yes," I said simply. "It is."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

— **Sakura—**

I was reduced to being either a cashier, waitress or a bartender. Those were the only two available positions. No one else in town was hiring without credentials, and there was no way I could be a mechanical engineer or a college professor. And there were very few places around town that even involved anything like writing or editing. I looked into nearby newspaper companies, but even when I called, they said there were no positions available… My job hunt was as fruitful as ever since college ended.

 _I'm so tired of people brushing me off and acting like I'm not good enough to stack boxes on top of each other even though I finished college. Can't I just go home now? Maybe Ino fell asleep, or went out with Naruto_ …

And now I was over a fifteen minute walk from the apartment, and I didn't want to start having to walk more than five or ten minutes, especially if summer was coming to a close, and the cold weather was going to pick up in a couple months. The last thing I needed was to have to walk in a snowstorm for ten minutes just to work as a waitress, because that's what it was starting to look like.

The last place I could stop on my way back was a small bar and grill. It was a building right up against the road, with no sidewalk, and a half-broken fence lining the property. I was pretty sure it was the only place I had yet to apply to. I didn't want to be a chef, but another waitress position looked to be all I was going to get, sadly enough.

It was open, and when I walked through the doors, a few tables were filled, but not many. The lighting was dim, and the fixtures were mostly made out of an orange-brown wood. There were two floors, and stairs leading up to the second floor were on the left. It looked like a giant balcony from down where I was standing.

"Hello, table for… one?" a woman in a black skirt said, rushing over to me with a menu.

"Hi, uhm, actually… I was just curious if you guys are hiring right now? And if there's anyone I can speak to, or—"

"Oh, you can just leave your name and phone number with me and I'll give it to my manager after my shift is over," the lady replied quickly, handing me a pen and paper.

"Thanks…" I took them and jotted down my information. All these places, and not a single one asked for a resume… that's how I knew they didn't care about my college education. I had them written up and ready to email from my phone, but all anyone wanted was to either take my name and number or turn me away.

"Ok, thank you. Have a great day," the woman smiled and went back to whatever she'd been doing before I walked in. I just sighed, nodded once to myself, and turned towards the door… But not before I saw a familiar head of sleek, black hair out of the corner of my eye. I paused and slowly turned, not yet sure what was going through my head, but knowing that I was holding my breath. My face immediately got hot, and before I knew what I was doing, I walked right past the front register and zigzagged between tables and people walking by.

 _It can't be_ …

After all this time…

 _It just can't be_ …

I noticed a girl sitting beside him, and before I could try and make up an excuse for it in my head, she leaned into _Him_ and laughed. Her smile was so bright and cheerful. She picked up a mug of light beer and took a hefty sip before placing it back down. She turned her whole body to him and started talking. She was being loud, but I wasn't paying any attention to what she was saying.

Instead, I headed right for the bar, and without thinking, I heavily placed my hand on _His_ shoulder.

"Sasuke," I breathed, eyes wide.

 _He_ turned around and looked right at me.

And for a few seconds, I still thought it was _Him_ , until I started staring at his face… and noticing the slight differences. His eyes were calmer. His hair was a bit flatter. He had small bags under his eyes. His lips weren't shaped the same. But when he looked at me, he just smiled softly, as if he knew me, and he cared about me. It was a strange feeling…

"I'm sorry," he said, his smile becoming a bit sadder… _or was that my imagination?_ "I think you have me mistaken for someone else."

"No, wait," the girl sitting beside the man suddenly said, looking at me with shock all over her face. "She just called you Sasuke…"

"I heard her…"

"I… I'm sorry," I said, bowing slightly.

"No, that's alright," the man said. "I actually have a younger brother whose name is Sasuke." I froze. _No way_ … "My name is Itachi Uchiha. Does that ring any bells?"


End file.
